Tag: Fighting

When Floyd Mayweather last stepped into a ring nearly two years ago to fight Andre Berto, he thought he was doing it for the last time.
This time, Mayweather says his impending retirement is for real.
“I gave my word to Al Haymon. I gave my word …

When Floyd Mayweather last stepped into a ring nearly two years ago to fight Andre Berto, he thought he was doing it for the last time.

This time, Mayweather says his impending retirement is for real.

“I gave my word to Al Haymon. I gave my word to my children. And one thing I don’t want to do is break that. … This will be my last fight,” Mayweather said Thursday at a media conference call for his Aug. 26 fight against ConorMcGregor.

Mayweather, who retired after earning a unanimous-decision win over Berto in September 2015, spent most of the conference call reflecting on a career that ranks among the greatest in boxing history. He would set an all-time record with 50 wins without a defeat should he beat McGregor, breaking a tie with Rocky Marciano.

“I don’t try to focus on other fighters, but I’m appreciative for every fighter that paved the way for me to be where I’m at,” Mayweather said. “Even though this is No. 50, this is my 50th fight, that’s not my focus. My focus is to give the fans an exciting fight. … Rocky Marciano is a legend. Rocky Marciano did it his way. I’d just like to it the Mayweather way.”

McGregor, the most famous face in mixed martial arts, is making his boxing debut after becoming the first fighter in UFC history to simultaneously hold two championships. Some have wondered whether McGregor, in the prime of his career, is taking too big of a risk switching sports altogether in a match that could lower his star power.

Mayweather said he believes his decision to put his undefeated record on the line is more of a risk.

“I believe I’m taking the bigger risk, I have the 49-0 record,” Mayweather said. “When a fighter has lost before, if he loses again, they say it’s nothing he lost before. But when a boxer has been dominating for twentysome years, never lost, everything is on the line. My legacy, my boxing record, everything is on the line.”

Mayweather also doubled down on his comments acknowledging that he may have lost a step at age 40.

“I’m just being honest, I don’t think I’m the same Floyd Mayweather I was 21 years ago, of course not. I don’t think I’m the same Floyd Mayweather that I was 10 years ago. I’m not even the same Floyd Mayweather I was five or two years ago. But I said I still have a high IQ in that ring, and I said experience wise it leans towards me,” he said.

The fight will take place using eight-ounce gloves, rather than the standard 10-ounce gloves, thanks to a waiver granted by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. McGregor typically fights using four-ounce gloves in UFC while boxing typically requires 10-ounce gloves for any weight class above 147 pounds.

Mayweather said that was put in place to avoid excuses on either side, saying, “I’m not really worried about the outcome, I’m worried about excitement. I understand he’s used to fighting in four-ounce gloves…I want to make him feel as comfortable as possible. I’m not going to have any excuses, and I don’t want him to have any excuses.”

As for his post-boxing career, Mayweather said he will focus on real estate ventures, his children and his Mayweather Productions business. He said he wants to leave a legacy behind for his children to take over the businesses and expand them once they graduate from college.

Acumen.
Noun; the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain. Synonyms include astuteness, shrewdness, acuity and sharpness.
It’s a versatile word, used from business to academics to, you guessed it, athle…

Acumen.

Noun; the ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain. Synonyms include astuteness, shrewdness, acuity and sharpness.

It’s a versatile word, used from business to academics to, you guessed it, athletics.

Athletics as in boxing.

For example, a mere week-and-a-half from one of the biggest athletic events in this generation, its use is in reference to the boxing acumen of ConorMcGregor, who will take on Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Aug. 26 in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena. Its use is to acknowledge he is almost totally lacking in it on any meaningful level, and the world will soon see what that’s worth when he steps between the ropes.

Yet if you’ve followed McGregor up to this point, you’re probably comfortable suggesting he has everything else he needs to get the job done.

The lead-up to the fight has been rife with entirely factual, highly relevant points from McGregor, even amid his more problematic statements. Ever the salesman, he’s quick to point out the ways he’s a unique threat to Mayweather. One particular rant at a group of bystanders outside of Madison Square Garden earlier this year, angrier than many he’s indulged in since this circus came to town, was instructive:

“I’m the boxing guy, watch me take over boxing!” he bellowed to an onlooker, as Fight Hub TV captured (warning: link contains NSFW language). “No one in this boxing game knows what’s coming. Trust me on that. When I step in there, I’m going to shock the whole goddamned world.”

He continued, eyes increasingly wild: “Look me in the eyes! Twenty-eight years of age! Confident as a motherf–ker, long, rangy, dangerous with every hand!

If one looks past the idea of McGregor‘s limited boxing acumen for a moment, there is reason to think the Irishman has some things going for him. If there weren’t, nearly $100 on pay-per-view and God only knows how much to get in the building on fight night wouldn’t be possible.

Even though McGregor just turned 29 in July, he is over a decade younger than Mayweather. He is long and rangy in a way that few Mayweather opponents have been. He is confident and dangerous with each hand.

And that’s only one short clip of McGregor‘s ranting his way through New York while visions of dollar signs flash in his head.

He doesn’t touch on other elements of his game, like his sheer density for a 154-pounder, the unpredictability he’ll have on his side or his vaunted, almost admirable ability to believe in himself no matter the odds.

While McGregor acknowledges his own length and range, look at his only UFC fight at 155 pounds (UFC 205 last November) and see how bulky he is at that weight. Look at the size of his arms and back compared to those of Eddie Alvarez, the then-lightweight champion with 170-pound fights under his belt. Look at how easily and freely he moves that enormous frame around and how he lands punches from range, both off counters and when getting off first.

Against Mayweather, who has fought as low as 130 pounds and only rarely at 154 pounds in his career, that is a legitimate advantage.

Consider also his unpredictability in combat. Some of it is on display in the Alvarez fight, even though MMA lends itself to unpredictability more so than boxing.

McGregor‘s head coach, John Kavanagh, told The 42 in June 2017 after the Mayweather bout was announced:

“I believe we have a number of advantages going into this fight. Often, people who are experts in a certain field will tell you that it can actually be more awkward to deal with somebody who’s not from the same field. They’d rather deal with the top contender from their own discipline because he’ll move in a way that you assume he’ll move.

“Mayweather has been in the boxing world for his entire career, and everyone he’s faced has moved in a certain way that he’s preconditioned to handle. Now he’s going up against a guy who doesn’t follow any set patterns, who can deploy a variety of different styles of fighting and is not one bit intimidated. Conor is—as we all are here—100 percent confident in victory. That kind of person is very difficult to deal with.”

This is an astute observation from Kavanagh—one that will be confirmed by many professional athletes across many different sports if you ask.

It is far more challenging for a fighter to spar with individuals from different backgrounds in combat sports, which is why it’s such a popular means of preparation in MMA camps.

Other sports support the idea as well. Often at lower levels or coming up through amateur ranks, there are less elite players and thus more unpredictable or outright bad play, so it becomes more of a challenge to those who are elite and are thinking and acting on a much higher plane.

Poker may have been the most interesting analogy around the time internet players and traditional players converged for the first time. “Amateur” internet players began employing unorthodox, unpredictable strategies that more seasoned pros couldn’t account for after years of playing on “feel” alone. The result was great success for those players coming from cyberspace, a more general adjustment in strategies overall and an evolution of the game.

In boxing Mayweather, McGregor has the practiced and refined unpredictability of his natural fighting style working in his favor, but he also has the unpracticed and unrefined unpredictability of being so new to professional boxing.

It’s not a guaranteed pathway to success, but it’s something that will take Mayweather some time to unpack. That might be all the time McGregor needs to land one of those dangerous hands and start some trouble.

And then, of course, there’s the self-belief. Nobody in the history of sports—maybe in history, period—has ever believed in themselves the way McGregor believes in himself. Time and again he tells people he intends to do the impossible, and while it’s often met with a collective cluck of the tongue from doubters, he goes out and does it.

His UFC run was a freight train fueled by the momentum of his proclamations. His concurrent UFC titles were the station the train halted at for a breather. This whole scene against Mayweather is the culmination of every positive, self-believing thought.

Nobody ever got rich doubting McGregor, and McGregor has gotten rich believing in himself. If that track record doesn’t count for something, you’re doubting him at your own peril.

With camps winding down and the final promotional push ready to take the world into one of the biggest boxing matches it has ever seen, what does boxing acumen matter?

McGregor has plenty working for him, and he’s gotten this far with acumen as an afterthought.

As UFC President Dana White has been fond of saying in promoting this bout, “At the end of the day, it’s a fight.”

He’s right about that. Anything can happen in a fight.

If McGregor levels a boxing icon? There’ll be no room to challenge his boxing acumen anymore, either.

UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor said he’s planning to “break” Floyd Mayweather Jr. within four rounds during their highly anticipated boxing match next week at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
McGregor, one of the best trash-talkers in combat sport…

UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor said he’s planning to “break” Floyd Mayweather Jr. within four rounds during their highly anticipated boxing match next week at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

McGregor, one of the best trash-talkers in combat sports, made the prediction during an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s TBS talk show:

While McGregor is aiming for a quick victory, he’s also said he wouldn’t mind an extended fight with the five-division world champion, perDaniel Matthewsof theDaily Mail. The UFC sensation said that might help give boxing fans more respect for MMA.

“(But) part of me is hoping that maybe he can last … part of me wants to show some skill and to dismantle him,” McGregor said Wednesday. “We are ready for absolutely every scenario. I am ready to go to war for the full 12 rounds and I’m ready to put him away in the first 10 seconds.”

He added: “I’m just looking forward to August 26 and proving what I’m saying and educating the world of what martial arts is and giving the fans and everybody a good solid fight and earning my respect in this game also.”

The 29-year-old Irishman is a sizable underdog in the high-profile, cross-sport clash, which doesn’t come as a surprise given his extremely limited boxing experience—this is his first official fight—and Mayweather’s undefeated record.

Yet,Brett Okamotoof ESPN.com noted UFC President Dana White believes it will be a competitive battle despite the large gap in experience.

“All these naysayers, let me tell you what,” he said. “This fight goes two ways. Either Floyd Mayweather runs around and does his style of fighting, defense, stays away from Conor and tries to not get hit. Conor will go right after Floyd Mayweather and try to knock him out. That’s Conor’s style. When have you ever seen a boring Conor McGregor fight?

“And then there’s the other side, where Floyd thinks that Conor is so weak at boxing he comes right after him. Speed kills, tries to use his speed and actually knock Conor McGregor out. I want it to be a good fight and I truly believe it will be a good fight.”

All told, the fact Mayweather hasn’t competed in nearly two years since his victory over Andre Berto in September 2015 gives McGregor at least a puncher’s chance. But knocking one of the best defensive fighters in history out inside the first four rounds would be a shocker.

Does Floyd Mayweather Jr. have any interest in serious training prior to his superfight with Conor McGregor?
Through the first three episodes of Showtime’s All Access: Mayweather vs. McGregor series on the huge event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas …

Does Floyd Mayweather Jr. have any interest in serious training prior to his superfight with ConorMcGregor?

Through the first three episodes of Showtime’s All Access: Mayweather vs. McGregor series on the huge event at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas scheduled for August 26, Mayweather has done a lot more talking than training.

He has gone on about his money, his interest in getting involved in the strip club/gentleman’s club business, his desire to have fun and about his family, but when it comes to stepping in the ring and doing some serious training, that has not been one of his priorities.

Episode 4 unfolds Friday at 10 p.m. ET on Showtime, and Mayweather’s effort to prepare for the fight should be one of the more interesting aspects of the program. There’s no guarantee that he will step up his training at this point, because it’s clear that he will prepare in the manner that he sees fit and doesn’t care what others think.

“I am going to do exactly what I want to do,” Mayweather said in a previous episode. “Nobody is going to tell me what to do.”

The ongoing saga between McGregor and Showtime boxing analyst Paulie Malignaggi is likely to play out further. In each of the last two episodes, McGregor and Malignaggi have sparred to help the UFC lightweight champ prepare for Mayweather. The Showtime cameras were turned off for the sparring sessions, but McGregor has said he has gotten the best of the former fighter.

McGregor claimed in an interview with MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani that his most recent sparring session was a 12-round fight and that he won each round. Malignaggi has dismissed the claim on The MMA Hourpodcast and has asked for the tape for all 12 rounds to be released.

While that has not happened, a small snippet of Malignaggi going down to the canvas has found its way to the public. Even that is controversial, because Malignaggi says that his tumble is the result of a shove and not a punch.

In any event, it is clear that McGregor has used his time to train in a much more serious manner than Mayweather. He knows he has a huge opportunity coming up in a little over a week, and he is trying to prepare as best he can for the first official boxing match of his career.

Mayweather is taking his 49-0 record into the ring, and while he has not competed in two years, his defensive skills are not likely to have waned. While he may not be as quick as he was in his prime, it’s difficult to conceive of McGregor gaining enough skill to challenge him successfully.

The countdown to the megafight is starting to reach the critical stage.

The best boxer of his generation. The most recognizable mixed martial artist in the world.
An international publicity tour with enough vitriol, insensitivity and contrived, microphone-friendly menace to leave media outlets of all stripes tittering like…

The best boxer of his generation. The most recognizable mixed martial artist in the world.

An international publicity tour with enough vitriol, insensitivity and contrived, microphone-friendly menace to leave media outlets of all stripes tittering like six-year-olds on a birthday cake high.

Ladies and gentlemen, we give you Mayweather-McGregor.

Their Aug. 26 get-together seems destined to stretch the outer limits of internet capacity, and there is no shortage of numbers to pore over while preparing for the circus.

We’ve assembled a batch of the best ones here. So sit back, relax and get yourself ready for the fun.

0: In case you’re unaware, it’s the number of times McGregor, on the verge of facing a consensus all-time great, has stepped into a ring for an officially sanctioned amateur or professional boxing match. He has, however, had 24 mixed martial arts matches, winning 21 and scoring 18 stoppages.

5: Number of professional weight classes in which Mayweather, who began punching for pay at age 19, has won sanctioned world championships. He earned his first belt, at 130 pounds, in 1998, and has since added jewelry at 135 (2002), 140 (2005), 147 (2006) and 154 (2007).

50-0: The pro record Mayweather would reach with a win, eclipsing the 49-0 mark established by heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano between 1947 and 1955. No other widely recognized world champion has retired with a better record with zero losses and zero draws.

TMT50 and TBE50: The trademarks applied for by Mayweather Productions with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, per ESPN.com. TMT is short for “The Money Team,” while TBE stands for “The Best Ever.”

19.5 million: The number of buys Mayweather has helped generate as a pay-per-view fighter, including the three most-purchased bouts in history—2.4 million against Oscar De La Hoya in 2007, 2.2 million against Canelo Alvarez in 2013 and 4.6 million against Manny Pacquiao in 2015.

$600 million: The total projected gross revenue for the bout, according to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, which would place it second only to the aforementioned Mayweather-Pacquiao show two years ago.

$235: The proceeds of the public assistance check cashed by McGregor, according to Yahoo Sports, shortly before his UFC debut in 2013.

$4.8 million: The price tag for the rare luxury car, a KoenigseggCCXRTrevita, that Mayweather added to his collection in 2015, per Rolling Stone. The magazine said the ride maxes out at 254 mph and goes from 0 to 60 in 2.9 seconds.

154 pounds: The agreed-upon weight for the Aug. 26 fight. Mayweather, most recently a full-time welterweight, has previously ventured into the junior middleweight for defeats of De La Hoya, Alvarez and Miguel Cotto. His heaviest weigh-in number was 151 pounds against Cotto. McGregor, meanwhile, fought at a 170-pound limit for a stoppage loss against substitute opponent Nate Diaz in 2016.

11, 1 and 2: The chronological and statutory advantages—in age (29 to Mayweather’s 40), height (5’9″ to Mayweather’s 5’8″) and reach (74 inches to Mayweather’s 72)—that McGregor will have when he enters the T-Mobile Arena.

2,170 days: The length of time, come fight night, that will have elapsed since Mayweather last scored an inside-the-distance victory, via fourth-round KO against Victor Ortiz.

13 seconds: The amount of time it took McGregor to stop Jose Aldo for his signature UFC win, capturing the organization’s featherweight (145 pounds) championship in December 2015. He’s since picked up the UFC lightweight (155 pounds) belt as well.

22 seconds: Duration of the sparring video released by the UFC showing McGregor working with former two-division world champion Paulie Malignaggi. Malignaggi has since left the McGregor camp and claimed on social media that the clip, including what McGregor labeled a knockdown, wasn’t at all representative of the 36 total minutes of sparring.

$150: The wager, according to OddsShark, required to make a $100 profit on a Mayweather victory against McGregor inside the 12-round distance. A Mayweather win by decision, incidentally, would yield $230 for a $100 bet.

$325: The profit available for a $100 bet on McGregor, again according to OddsShark, in the event the Irishman pulls off the upset. For comparison’s sake, that profit number was at $950 when the fight was first rumored last fall.